Traction cleat for wheels



Nov. 3, 1931. EINFELDT I 1,829,823

TRACTION CLEAT FOR WHEELS Filed Dec. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Pat nted Nov. '3, 1931 UN AT PATENT OFFICE.

- EItN EST E. INFEILDT, or DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR To FRENCH a HEGHT, no i CORPORATED, A ORPORATION OF IOWA I TRACTION CLEAT 'FORWHEELS Application f iled. December 24,1928. Serial No. 328,206.

v This invention relates; to traction wheels andhas reference more particularly to the traction cleats or lugs with whichthe rim of the wheels is equipped for the purpose of givingthe same tractive effects.

, In" the use of tractors for instance, in which it is demanded that the carrying wheels possess tractive effects produced by the employment of traction cleats or lugs applied to m the wheel rim, the different ground conditions met with demand diiferent'degrees of engage- -1nent of the cleats with the ground, which is ordinarily takencare of by employing cleats orlugs ofdiflerent shapes or sizes.

vide a traction oleat or lug which, as a unitary member or structure,,may be applied detachably' to the wheel rim in different or reversed other objects in view, the inventionconsists of the improved form and construction of the cleat, which will be described in detail in the specification to follow, and the novel features of which will be set forth in the appended claims. I 7

' In the accompanying drawings:

v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel equipped with the improvedtraction cleats,

with parts broken aw'ay'and parts in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the Jwheel rim on an enlarged scale;

" it Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on an en- 1 I .rlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Fig, 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentarysectional viewsof the wheel rim,showing the different positions of the traction'cle ats to give different tractive'eifects inthe two cases, the section being taken o'nthe line 44 of Fig; 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofone of the traction cleats detached.

Referring to the drawings, which show the improved cleat in its preferred form and of the wheel consists of two spaced flat annected fixedly together and their spaced re- "lation maintained, by means of connecting i meinbersor bracket plates 2, 2', etc., each comfeet are fastened The aim of the present invention is to propositions to give diflerent degrees of engagement with the' ground, and with these and ally extending supportingwings4 at the ends of the central portion and angularly related to'the perimeter of the wheel, and longitudinally extending terminal portions or feet 5 at the ends Ofthe su porting portions, which I rmly, as by riveting or otherwise,'to the inner sides of the rings 1.

These connecting members may be variously formed and constructed to serve their intended purposes, andin the present instance are each formed as an integral structure from, a

single metal plate or strip, bent at its ends to provide thes'upport-iiig portions and the attaching feet.

The wings 4 of the connecting members serve as a means for the attachment to the wheel .ofthe improved traction cleats 6, which, in the preferredform of the invention consist each of two legs or limbs 7 and 8, which limbs are. disposed at an angle to each "other and are connected together at their intersection to form an active traction edge or point 9 at the apex of the angle.

' The cleats are applied to the wheel by seating the inner sides of the limbs against the supporting portions 4 of the connecting members 3, the said limbs being provided with bolt holes-10 and the supporting portions "being likewise provided with bolt holes-11 to receive fastening bolts 12, by means of which 'thecleats are firmly fastened in place.

When so fastened to the supporting wings of the connecting members, the tractive edges or points "9 ofthe cleats will project beyond "the rim, of the-wheel andthus form traction lugs with diverging front and rear sides constituted: bythe two limbs? and 8, which points of'thelugs may be caused to pro'ect a greater or less distance from the sur ace of the rim by providing each limb with a plurality of bolt holes, in. the present instance three holes in the, longer limb 7 and twoholes in the shorter limb 8, which holes in the two limbs are arranged in staggered relation to each other. This will adapt the cleats to be fastened to the supportlng wings of the connecting members as. shown. respectivelyin Figs. 4 and 5, the attachment of the cleats by means of the longer limbs7 giving 7'59 prising a central longitudinal body 3, latera greaterdegree'of projection into the ground f1 00 I than when the attachment is efiected' by other limbs, due to the staggered relations of the the holes in the two limbs. i 7

In Fig.4 thecleats are shown as attached by means of the limbs7, giving the maximum .degree of projection, whilein Fig. they are shown as attached "by means of the limbs 8 to give a minimum degree of projection. It

will be seen therefore that the cleats are effective ,whenattached by 'either o'f their two limbs, and when so'attached, will' give diner? ent degrees of tractive effect or projection into the ground. Due to the fact that the )limb 8'has but two bolt holes whereas the other limb has three, the limb'8 may be made holes for attaching the cleat to the :rim, said holesin one of the limbs belng staggered 1n relation to those in the other limb; whereby shorter than the limb 7 in order to economize 7 inthematerial. f r n ,Tlie ilimbs, oflthe cleats 6 are shown as being o'frelatively different, lengths, the limb 7whichhasthe greater number of holes being longer than the limbs having thelesser number, whereby a considerable.- saving in the material is effected in the-formation of the cleats, and interference of the adj acent limbs of the cleats witheach cother will be avoided in the assemblage of the cleats on the wheel trim. It. qwillfbe junderstoodhowever, that the invention is not, limited to .such'diflerence in the lengths of the two limbs, as the two. limbs might bemade'of the same length, v

flwithout departing fro m the ,liniitsof the 1 invention.

While an the foregoingl description 'and 5 accompanying drawings, the invention is w 7 shown as embodiedin certain detailed forms i and arrangementof parts, it will be understood thatthese details may be changed by the skilled mechanicwithoutdeparting from I r the limits of the invention; and furtherit will be understoodthat the invjentionisinot limited to any particular form ofconstruc- 7 tion of the parts, except in so far as such limi-V Having thus tations are specified in the claims. I a

I claim is 1. In combination witha wheel rimprodescribed my invention, what v vided with transversely extending s'upport- Y ring wings, angularly; related to-the perimeter of the'wheel, traction cleats each comprising. two limbs connectedstogether in angular rela- 7 ,tions to each other to form an'active trac tionpoint at the apex of the angle, eachof 7 said limbs being formed with meanswhereby it may be fastened to one of the transversely extending supporting wings to present the tractionpoint of the cleat for "contactwith the ground,said means on the two limbs being so relatively disposed that-the tractionpoint may be caused to projectdifierent distances beyond the tread of the wheel accord- I 'ing to which of the two limbs employed in fastening the cleat in 7 place.

1 2.. The combination of elements set forth ,in claim 1, characterized the ffact that the V limbs ofa traction cleat are provided with I 

